by Eva Brandt
As my son finally fell asleep in my arms, sated, my lovers approached me, slow and cautious. “This wasn’t exactly the way I was expecting this to go,” Brendan admitted.
“And what did you expect? That I’d just sit here and wait while you go off on your own? I told you that’s not going to happen, Brendan. You need me. And before we start repeating the same argument, you and I both know we’re running out of time.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to strain yourself like this, Acting Pilot Renard,” Commander Trevor piped up. “I know the situation seems dire, but your health and your family matter.”
I looked at him and not for the first time, wondered why he’d stayed. He was only my teacher. I didn’t have the same bond to him as I did with the others. I’d kissed him once, but I couldn’t remember why I’d done it.
“I know they matter, Sir. That’s exactly why I have to go back to Terra. This isn’t just about me, or about us.”
“Ah.”
One single syllable, and I knew Jared understood what I meant. Maybe he always had, and he just hadn’t wanted to mention it.
“You know it too, don’t you? The Centaur Herd wouldn’t have blindly attacked the temple in New Washington. If they were there, it was for a reason, and they weren’t chasing you.”
“They weren’t after you either, Selene,” Brendan reasoned. “My father had already taken you.”
“Maybe they didn’t know about it. Or maybe they’re just looking for something else. But seriously, Brendan, what are the chances of one random human carrying the blessing of both Gaia and Tartarus, then giving birth to a half-alien child who holds the soul of Pegasus?”
Just the thought was outlandish. A few months ago, when I’d been only an Unblessed, I wouldn’t have deemed it possible. But I realized now that I’d been looking at things all wrong.
“I don’t believe in coincidences. And you know what? I heard what the chimeras were planning. I know the gods never wanted to support us. If this is happening, it’s not heading in the right direction, and we have to stop it, before the universe itself is destroyed.”
“Selene, you don’t have to carry that weight. No matter what, you still have a home here.”
If Jared had said those words, I might have dismissed them. I might have even been inclined to shout at him. But it was Knox who said them, Knox who still had problems with Jared, who had not forgiven nor forgotten everything that had happened before.
He was giving me such a pleading look that I found it hard to say no to him. “Don’t you see? Humans will always be at odds with each other. That’s how we ended up here in the first place. That’s the fundamental flaw of our nature. And maybe that will indeed lead to our destruction. But why should you have to be the one to stop it? Why can’t you protect yourself instead?”
“I’m human too, Knox, and so are you. Or have you forgotten?”
“Maybe I have.” He laughed sharply. “Maybe living with a chimera in my brain has finally obliterated that part of me. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as long as I still have you.”
I looked at Brendan. He was the one who had most to lose in this. He had been planning to topple his father for years, and now that Philip was dead, the throne of the Chimera dynasty belonged to him.
It was his job and his responsibility to step in. It had been his dream to build a better society, one where women didn’t have to suffer and there was no tyranny.
“You’re more important to me than what I wanted before, Selene,” he said, as if guessing my thoughts. “It’s true that I… I shouldn’t turn back. Not now, not after everything I’ve done. But if you were to ask, if it was what you wanted, I’d do it, regardless.”
My breath caught at his admission. I knew how much it must have cost him to say such a thing. “Brendan, I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“You don’t have to ask. It’s just the way it is. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t change it. I care more about you than anything else.”
And I cared about them. But we were all on the verge of losing ourselves to powers we could not control, and I couldn’t hide and ignore what that meant, no matter how much I wanted to.
I let out a deep sigh. “All right, Brendan. I can accept that. But there’s no way to be sure the power of the gods won’t reach us here. Without the chimeras, we might all die anyway.
“I’ll be honest with you. There’s nothing I’d like more than to stay here, to raise Nestor, to be with you. But if I do, we might lose our chance. Nestor isn’t safe. And I’d rather have him grow up without me than to suffer in the future.”
The Great Mother’s voice echoed over the corridor, interrupting our conversation. “You won’t die, Selene,” she said. “You have too much to live for. And so does everyone here. Your son isn’t safe right now, it’s true, but that will soon change. Now, Prince Brendan, get a move on. It’s time for you to reclaim your throne. I think we will begin by starting a war.”
Wait, what?
The First Chimera Project
Brendan
Returning to Hades Base after so long seemed almost anticlimactic. Everybody else was unaware of how much I’d changed and was still flailing around, trying to process the fact that my father was dead.
At the same time, though, The Grand Judiciary hadn’t changed. As expected, they were already trying to take over, and without the chimeras, I didn’t have as much power as before.
They would have probably tried to get rid of me on the spot had we been at peace. But we weren’t, and as the Great Mother had predicted, a war was just what we needed to get things moving.
And so it was that the moment the rest of my unit and I stepped back into the base, I was intercepted by a frantic figure. It was Leonardo di Rossi. He was among the few people in The Grand Judiciary who were on our side, but he didn’t know the full extent our plans. Archibald had spoken to him and Caius upon our return, but at my request, he’d provided very little information.
“Your Highness, thank Tartarus you’re here. We’ve received news of increased activity in Terran territories. We fear terrorists may have found out about your father’s death, or might have even caused it.”
“Yes, I was afraid of that,” I replied, pursing my lips. “We’ve underestimated them for so long. They’ve had time to prepare.”
As we spoke, we made our way to the meeting hall. The Grand Judiciary was already assembled and naturally, they all turned to me for aid. “What should we do, Your Highness?” General Rhodes inquired. “The Grand Chimera Unit was destroyed in the blast.”
“Believe me, I’m aware,” I replied frostily. “Start rebuilding our chimeras, if you haven’t already done so.”
“Is that the best idea?” Rhodes insisted. “Considering what happened with the Lower Chimera Unit…”
Well, that answered the question of how much The Grand Judiciary knew about the events at the academy. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll hold an emergency meeting to discuss this. The Centaurs will be dealt with.”
The meeting went about as well as I could expect. Half of the members of The Grand Judiciary were reluctant to believe Terrans were a threat. The others were inclined to attack without questioning anything. And of course, there were those who were more focused on the Centaurs than on anything else.
“I just think our main concern should be the creatures with true power,” Caius Donadieu said. So far, Pollux’s father had made no note of his wife’s disappearance, but he always had been good at keeping secrets, to the point of agreeing for Odette to sleep with Philip for the sake of the rebellion. They hadn’t gotten the chance to communicate, but he seemed to trust Archibald’s reassurances that she was safe.
“The truth is somewhere in the middle, Lord Donadieu,” I told him. “There’s always been tension between the Lower Chimera Unit and the Grand Chimera Unit. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone found a way to exploit that. And at the end of the day, the power of the chimeras comes from Terra.”
&n
bsp; “So what do you suggest?”
“First of all, panicking and lashing out is unacceptable. Most Terrans are uninvolved in this debacle and we still need them to supply our work stations. We’ll put out a statement regarding my father’s death. An accidental explosion should be fine as an excuse. We won’t mention the chimeras. While we do that, we solidify our defenses. I don’t think the apsids are a danger right now, but we wouldn’t want to run into surprises. In the meantime, we’ll wait for our Terran source to send us information.”
“Ah. I was wondering where Acting Pilot Renard was when I didn’t see her with you,” Knox’s father commented.
Had he, really? Was he aware that Selene had been on the ship before the explosion? There was no way to know how many of these people had been involved in my father’s ploy, which meant that my excuses could very easily fall apart if I wasn’t careful.
Fortunately, I had plenty of experience with saying the same thing over and over without repeating myself. The Great Mother had been very useful in staging a few attacks which would hopefully give The Grand Judiciary a target that wasn’t us.
Using another war with the apsids wouldn’t have worked, since I’d told The Grand Judiciary that I didn’t think they were a problem. But The Grand Judiciary already had issues with Terrans. All I had to do was to nudge them in the right direction.
It wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind when I’d decided to take the throne, all those years ago, since it endangered innocent people a lot. But I’d done that before. I’d killed, murdered, and stained my hands with blood. I wasn’t afraid of doing it again, as long as it was for a brighter future—as long as Selene was safe.
I just wasn’t convinced that was true, but at this point, I had no choice but to go along with it.
“We have to organize a crowning ceremony then,” Knox said, taking a step forward.
I nodded. “While we do that, you’ll be on standby to intervene if anything goes wrong on Terra. Pollux will go with you.”
We didn’t need to have this conversation here, but I was proving a point. I had to show The Grand Judiciary that I was taking charge and they all needed to follow my orders. Hopefully, having an enemy would be enough for them, at least until the rest of our plans came to fruition.
“The Chimera dynasty will still persevere. This is only a temporary setback.”
Several members of The Grand Judiciary shared a look. “And your uncle? Was he with King Philip?” Paul Welton inquired. “We’ve received no word from him.”
I was a little surprised no one had asked about Archibald until now. Maybe these people were better informed than I’d believed. For the moment, our excuse would be enough, but in the future, I’d look at it more closely. “He was injured in the attack on Tartarus Base. He’s recovering, but he won’t be able to assist us.”
Shortly after that, I dismissed the meeting, more than eager to get these filthy aristocrats out of my face. I asked Paul to stay behind. “Lord Welton, I need to speak with you in private for a minute.”
“Yes, of course,” he replied steadily. “What is it?”
I pulled him aside, into a private study. Knox took position next to the door, and although he tried to not look too threatening, he failed.
“I’m told Penelope is missing. Is that true?”
Paul pressed his lips together so tightly they went white. “Unfortunately, yes. She disappeared a few days ago.”
“I spoke to my father before he left Tartarus Base. He said he had reason to believe there was an information leak involved. Could her kidnappers be behind this whole incident?”
I wondered how he’d handle this. My father had made it clear that he knew Penelope had left of her own accord. But no one would guess that she’d turned to me for aid, especially since it was known that we were at odds.
Would Paul admit to his daughter’s treason? With my father dead and the tablet presumably destroyed, he still had leverage over my family.
“The truth is, Your Majesty, I’m not so convinced she was kidnapped. Penelope was… very spiteful. I believe she took your understandable rejection personally and she sought a way to destroy you.”
“Ah.” I carefully schooled my features into neutrality. “And did she have access to sensitive information that would’ve helped her with that?”
Paul grimaced. “The device where I kept most of my data was genetically locked, so she could access it. It simply didn’t occur to me that she’d do something like this.”
I hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward and throw Penelope under the bus, but in a way, it made sense. He was fairly young and he could always have another child if he needed one. Ingratiating himself into my favor was more important.
“I believe… Well, the most problematic factor is Flight Lieutenant Cavallero’s ancestry.”
He looked at August, obviously hesitant and not knowing if he should say more. I hummed under my breath. “I don’t see how it would be. August’s background can only help us, if the apsids ever do return. That was the whole point of the experimentation, correct?”
Paul’s breath caught. August smirked at him slowly. “Don’t look so shocked. Do you think I’m so unaware of myself that I wouldn’t acknowledge what I am? For Tartarus’s sake, I survived direct exposure to space.
“Besides, the information isn’t that important. It doesn’t matter whose blood I have in my veins, just who I’m loyal to. And that is and will always be Brendan.”
“Fair enough, Flight Lieutenant Cavallero,” Paul replied. “My apologies. I meant no offense. I’ll provide you with all the information you need, of course.”
“I appreciate that, Lord Welton. I do need something more.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, now even more apprehensive than before. “Of course, Your Majesty. What is it?”
For the first time since my arrival in Hades Base, I let the poisonous light of Typhon’s power slide into my eyes. “Tell me… What do you know about the First Chimera Project?”
* * *
Jared
Considering how things had gone when I’d come to New Washington last time, I hadn’t thought I was the best choice to join Selene on her trip to Terra. Unfortunately, I was the only one available, as the others all had to provide backup for Brendan.
It was just as well that my job wasn’t to take Selene to New Washington.
I shot a bolt of discreet flame through the ground and The Grand Judiciary embassy exploded. By my side, Kallios chortled in satisfaction. Teela shot me a quick smile. “You know, even if we’re here for a real, important reason, I can’t deny it’s very satisfying to do this.”
“You can blow the next one up, if you want,” I told her. “Just make sure to moderate your power.”
“I know the mission objectives, Jar’yd. Relax.”
It was easier said than done. I was very worried about Selene, about what she was supposed to do. But I couldn’t help her now. I had to focus on fulfilling my task and hope that I’d be able to find her soon.
Spitefully, I blew up another building, wishing it made me feel better. In the distance, I could hear the sound of screams. I felt no remorse. These Terrans were all irrelevant, dust in the wind.
I wanted to go home. I wanted to be with Selene, with my son. Would this really work, or were we here for nothing?
My friends didn’t try to encourage me again, at least not through words. Their power vibrated through the ground, through the air, and into me.
We didn’t stay for much longer, since we intended to avoid being spotted. We wanted The Grand Judiciary to think terrorists were behind the attacks, long enough to allow Brendan to make a move on the throne.
With a thought, we transported ourselves back to our small base here on Terra. I’d been tempted to go back to the Apsid Quasar, or at least to Mercury, but that would have been too strenuous and pushed our skills too much. Instead, we’d taken refuge near the destroyed remnants of Gaia’s Haven.
There was
nothing left of the old settlement now, but there was a reason why The Grand Judiciary had sent the Grand Chimera Unit here, and why the Haven had been built in this place in particular. This was the perfect place to hide and recharge.
We were supposed to rest, but the moment we entered the ravine, something powerful touched me. Down here, it was dark and cold. Helios’s gift still reached me, but it felt more distant. There was another presence niggling at the back of my mind.
Like a man in a dream, I knelt and touched the earth. Instantly, I heard a voice and the sound of distant laughter.
“Why her?” I asked, not really expecting a reply. “Why pick her?”
“Why not?” the voice shot back. “You should know by now, Jared Glass, that humans don’t matter to gods. Their souls are just fuel for greater beings.”
Behind me, my companions stirred, obviously anxious. I wasn’t sure if they heard the voice or not, but I’d worry about that later.
“Selene isn’t fuel! I refuse to believe that.”
“Helios indulges you too much. He always has. The world isn’t that kind, child. You’d best be aware of it.”
“Oh, I’m aware. That’s why we’re on Terra, after all.”
“No, you’re here to save her, yourself, and that spawn of yours.”
“Do you really have no love in your heart for mankind? Do you really think they’re a hopeless species?”
“They’ve always been hopeless, flawed. It was a mistake to leave this world in their hands in the first place. The only thing they’ve ever done is destroy.”
“And you could’ve intervened much sooner if you had cared. If things reached this point, you only have yourselves to blame.”
A jolt of pain rushed through me and for a few seconds, I felt as if I was being disintegrated again. “Jar’yd!” Teela cried out.
I waved her away, silently telling her to keep her distance. I hadn’t expected this, nor had I intended to have a conversation with a deity, but if I’d been approached in this way, I wouldn’t back out.
